Drive for cloth spreading machines



March 25, 1952 M. R. KATZ DRIVE FOR CLOTH SPREADING MACHINES 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 19, 1948 'INVENTIJH WWW ATTORNEY Mara] 25,1952 Filed June 19, 1948 M. R. KATZ DRIVE FOR CLOTH SPREADING MACHINES 2SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTIJR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 25, 1952 DRIVE'FOR CLOTHSPREADING MACHINES Mortimer Ronald Katz, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada ApplicationJune 19, 1948, SeriaI No. 33,960

3' Claims. (Cl. 105-144) The invention relates to improvements in adrive for cloth spreading machines, as described in the presentspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form apart of the same.

The invention consists essentiallyof the novel features of constructionas pointed out broadly and specifically inthe claimsfor noveltyfollowing a description "containing an explanation in detail of anacceptableform of the invention.

The objects of :the invention are to devise a drive mechanism .for theoperation of a cloth spreading machine and with which is incorporateda'seat for-the operator; to facilitate the operation of spreading clothon cutting tables and to speed up such operation; to eliminate fatigueto the operator or supervisor of the cloth spreading machine presentlycaused by this per son having to walk alongside of the spreading machineas he or she inspects thecloth for irregularities during the spreadingoperation; to furnish a drive for a cloth spreading machine that willoperate same with a multiple of the speed obtainable with electromaticmachines in present use; to equip an ordinary "hand driven clothspreading "machine with an electric drive so mounted and arranged astotravel along with the spreading machine and by which the spreadingmachine may operate fully automatic; to 'construct a drive for clothspreading machines consisting of comparatively-few and simple parts,easy and economical to manufacture; and generally to'provide a drive forclothspreading machines that isefiicient in its use.

.In the drawings:

Figure 1 is aside View of a cloth spreading machine mounted on thecutting itableand showing the drive asattached thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan viewiof Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view as takenon the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. a

Figure 5 illustrates the invention as arranged for the use of D. C.current.

, Figure 6 is a side view of the drive showing same for the use of A. C.current.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the variousfi ures.

The present invention as hereinafter described and illustrated isparticularly adapted for use in the clothing and allied industries forattachment to an ordinary "hand driven cloth spreading machine,converting same to a power driven machine whereby theoperator orsupervisor of the cloth spreading operation is enabled to ridethemachine back and forth during its operation instead of walking back andforth with it as is at present the case.

Referring to the drawings, the drive for acloth spreading machine,consists of a carrier or carriage, as indicated by the numeral It,adapted to be'attached to a cloth spreading machine I I as mounted on acutting table I2, and mounting an electric motor 13 and other mechanismsupplying the motive power therefor.

An acceptable and preferable type of :carriage is in-the form of arectangular shaped framework of angle iron, piping or :metal rods,,andis of predetermined length, width and height but being considerably lessthan the height of the cutting table.

The framework or carriage H1 is provided with wheels, preferably a pair,[4 and l5 respectively. locatedat the bottom of same on one sidethereof, one wheel being located adjacent to each end thereof. The shaft16 of the front supporting wheel 15 extends across the bottom of theframework-andisjournalled in pillow'blocks I! and 18 fixedly secured oneto each of the bottom longitudinalside members It and 2B, the shaftextending beyond the inner longitudinal side member 19. The rear ordriving wheel 54 has its shaft 2| journalled in the pillow block 22extending therethrough and connecting with a rotatable shaft 23extending out from a speed reduction unit 24 by means of a coupling 25.

The wheel shafts It and 2f extend a-predetermined distance out from theinner longitudinal side member [9 to mount the wheels l4 and i5 inperfect alignment with one another. These bottom or support wheels 54and it are adapted to engage with a rail 26. This rail or track 26 ispreferably in the form of an angle iron fixedly secured to the floor andextending the length of the cutting table12 andis positioned on thefloor of the room adjacent to the table, the wheels running on theupturned flange of the angle iron rail, which positions the wheels andthecarriage clear of the floor.

Upper or retaining wheels 21 and 28 extend out from the upper innerlongitudinal side member 29, being secured to the outwardlyextending'bracketsor rods3ll and .31, andthesewheels arepositionedhorizontally at the end of their respective bracketandarelocatedadjacent to each end of the carriagesimilar to the lower orsupport wheels 14 and I5. The retaining wheels engage with an angle ironrail or track 32, which rail is fixedly secured to brackets or supports'33 which are fixedly secured to and extend out from the sideoftheoutting table, positioning the upper rail out from the table. Thisupper rail extends the 3 length of the table, and the wheels 21 and 28are positioned back of the rear flange of the rail and against same tomove therealong.

The motor I3 is movably mounted on a base34 which rests on the bottomlongitudinal side members l9 and 20 and suitably and fixedly securedthereto. The motor is supplied with electric power by means of a feedrail 35, or similar conductors, secured to the ceiling or to the cuttingtable, the power cable 36 being fed through a pipe 31 secured to thecarriage l and connected to a controller 38 mounted on the carriage, andonto the motor. This controller 38 is actuated by the operator forstarting, stopping and reversing the motor.

The cloth spreading machine H is mounted on rails 39 and 40 fixedlysecured to the top of the cutting'table I2 and extending the lengththereof. The drive or carriage I0 is secured to the cloth spreadingmachine by means of a hinge or metal strap 4l secured to the'bottomportion of the spreading machine and to the top portion of the carriagel0. This connecting member 4! is flexible or so arranged as to absorbany irregularities which might exist or develop in the relative positionof the rail 26 and the cutting table l2.

The base 34 hereinabove referred to, is the base block of a mechanicalspeed controller, the speed controller comprising this base 34 and thevariable speed pulley 42 which is connected to the motor. The variablespeed pulley 42 is of the type that is composed of two cone shapedflanges slidably mounted on the shaft and held together by a spring. Thespeed controller unit is connected to a speed reducer 24 suitablylocated at the rear of the carriage by means of a belt 44 connecting thevariable speed pulley 42 to a wheel or pulley 45, the pulley 45 beingconnected to the rotatable shaft 23 of the speed reducer 24 which inturn is connected to the rear or driving wheel I4 of the carriage, ashereinabove described.

The operating mechanism of the speed controller consists of a threadedscrew 45 extending into the base 34 through an aperture 41 therein andhaving its inner end engaging a nut secured on the underside ,of themotor l3, a sprocket 48 being secured at the outer end of the threadedshaft 46. A shaft 49 having one end secured in a gear box 50, located atthe rear and top of the carriage, extends horizontally adjacent to thetop of the carriage and has its free end rotatably mounted in thebracket fixedly mounted on the framework, and a sprocket secured thereonadjacent to the bracket. A chain 52 connects the sprocket 48 with thepulley on the shaft 49. A manually operated wheel 53 connected to thegear box 50 to rotate the shaft 49, controls the mechanical speedcontroller.

An operators seat 54 is suitably mounted on the carriage l0 and extendsupwardly and outwardly therefrom, positioning the operator withinreaching distance of the controller 38 and the wheel 53.

As mounted on the tracks or rails, the framework orcarriage l 0 extendsoutwardly therefrom,

vary the speed of the motor and thus of the catriage and spreadingmachine.

In the operation of the drive, the operator seats himself or herself onthe carriage and starts the motor by operating the controller 38 bymeans of the handle 55, the power being transmitted to the driving wheel14 of the carriage through the belt 44 actuating the speed reducer shaftto which the shaft of the driving wheel is connected. The operator stopsor reverses the carriage by means of this controller. For a variation inspeed the operator manipulates the wheel 53 causing the chain 52 to turnthe threaded shaft 46, to which the motor is connected, and to draw themotor back, the belt 44 being tightened on the variable speed pulley 42.This tightening of the belt causes the two cones comprising the variablespeed pulley to expand and thereby permitting the belt 44 to ridefurther down in the cones. The result of this is a reduction in theeffective diameter of the variable speed pulley, thereby effecting areduction in speed, or conversely causing the motor to be moved forwardto increase the speed.

Instead of using a variable speed pulley 42 on the motor as hereinabovedescribed, a speed reducer with variable speed feature in one compactunit, as indicated by the numeral 60 in Figure 6, may be used, the onlydifference in the set-up of the carriage being that the chain 6| isconnected to the variable speed pulley or mechanism contained in thereducer unit 60, the same being operated by manual manipulation of thewheel 62, the motor in this case being rigidly mounted on the carriage.

For use with D. C. current, the carriage as indicated in Figure 5,supports a controller 65, the handle 66 of which starts, stops andcontrols the speed of the motor 61, the motor being put in reverse bymeans of the lever 68. The motor in this case being rigidly mounted onthe carriage, the V-belt 69 connecting the pulley 10 onthe motor withthe pulley H connected to the speed reducer 12 to actuate the drivingwheel of the carriage. This carriage is of course, provided with a seatfor the operator, and is otherwise the same as hereinabove described.

The particular manner of support of the carriage, by the rails 26 and32, permits it to be suspended above the floor, keeping the floor freeof obstructions.

It is of course understood that modifications and ramifications may bemade without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention ashereinabove described and illustrated.

What I claim is:

1. In a drive for cloth spreading machines, a cutting table, a clothspreading machine movably supported on said cutting table, an upper railand a lower rail fixedly located with respect to one side of saidcutting table, a carriage comprising a pair of supporting wheels and apair of retaining wheels, said supporting wheels being rotatablyjournalled to the lower portion of said carriage at the inside thereofand adapted to travel on said lower rail, said retaining wheels beingrotatably journalled in a horizontal plane to the upper portion of saidcarriage at the inside thereof and adapted to engage said upper rail, amotor mounted on said carriage and suitably connected to an electricpower source, an operators seat supported on said carriage, a drivepulley fixedly secured on the shaft of said motor, a speed reducer unit,a driven pulley fixedly mounted on the shaft of said speed reducer unit,a belt connecting said drive pulley and said driven pulley, meansconnecting said speed reducer unit with one of said supporting wheelsthus providing a means of moving said carriage with respect to saidupper rail and said lower rail, a controller connected to said motor, amechanical speed controller mounted on said carriage and suitablyconnected to said motor, and said mechanical speed controller beingmanually operated by an attendant riding on said seat.

2. In a drive for cloth spreading machines, a cutting table, a clothspreading machine movably supported on said cutting table, an upper railand a lower rail fixedly located with respect to one side of saidcutting table, a carriage comprising a pair of supporting wheels and apair of retaining wheels, said supporting wheels beingrotatablyjournalled to the lower portion of said carriage at the inside thereofand adapted to travel on said lower rail, said retaining wheels beingrotatably journalled in a horizontal plane to the upper portion of saidcarriage at the inside thereof and adapted to engage said upper rail, amechanical speed controller mounted on said carriage, a motor mounted onsaid speed controller and suitably connected to an electric powersource, an operators seat supported on said carriage, a variable speeddrive pulley fixedly secured on the shaft of said motor, a speed reducerunit, a driven pulley fixedly mounted on the shaft of said speed reducerunit, a belt connecting said variable speed drive pulley and said drivenpulley, means connecting said speed reducer unit with one of saidsupporting wheels thus providing a means of moving said carriage withrespect to said upper rail and said lower rail, a controller connectedto said motor, and said mechanical speed controller being manuallyoperated by an attendant riding on said seat.

3. In a drive for cloth spreading machines, a cloth spreading machinemovably mounted on rails secured on top of a cutting table, arectangular shaped framework forming a carriage, an upper rail fixedlysecured to the side of the cutting table and extending out therefrom, alower rail fixedly secured to the floor and located out from the side ofsaid cutting table and under said upper rail, a drive wheel located atthe rear of said framework and extending out from the bottom inside faceof same, a supporting wheel located at the front of said framework andextending out from the bottom inside face of said framework, said drivewheel and said support wheel being in alignment with one another, a pairof retaining wheels located on the upper inside face of said frameworkand extendilig out therefrom and coinciding in position to said drivewheel and said supporting wheel, said pair of retaining wheels beingadapted to engage with said upper rail, said drive wheel and saidsupporting wheel adapted to engage with said lower rail and to supportsaid framework thereon, a mechanical speed controller base mounted onsaid framework at the front end of same, a motor slidably mounted onsaid speed controller base and suitably connected to an electric powersource, a speed reducing unit, a pulley fixedly secured to the ou ershaft of said speed reducer unit, a variable speed pulley mounted on theshaft of said motor, a belt connecting said variable speed pulley onsaid motor with said pulley on said speed reducer unit, said drive wheelsuitably connected to the inner shaft of said speed reducer unit thusproviding a means of moving said framework along said lower rail andsaid upper rail, a controller mounted on said framework and adapted tocontrol said motor, a metal hinge member securing said framework to saidcloth spreadin machine and adapted to absorb irregularities which mightexist or develop in the relative position of said lower rail and saidcutting table, an -operators seat suitably mounted on said framework, achain drive mechanism mounted on said framework and connected to theunder side of said motor through an aperture in said mechanical speedcontroller base and adapted to be manually operated by a personoccupying said seat, said motor being adapted to move backwardor forwardon said speed controller base by the operation of said chain drive tochange the effective diameter of said variable speed pulley and therebyeffect a change of speed oi said motor and said framework.

MORTIMER. RONALD KATZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 185,371 Warth Dec. 12, 1876207,575 Warth Aug. 27, 1878 818,608 Brower Apr. 24, 1906 1,944,054Ackerman Jan. 16, 1934 2,139,772 Ringe Dec. 13, 1938

